Matcha mouthwash may inhibit gum disease

Periodontitis is an inflammatory gum disease driven by bacterial infection and left untreated it can lead to complications including tooth loss. The disease also been associated with diabetes mellitus, preterm birth, cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis and cancer.

One of the chief bacterial culprits behind periodontitis is Porphyromonas gingivalis, which colonises biofilms on tooth surfaces and proliferates in deep periodontal pockets.

Matcha, a finely ground green tea powder, may help keep P. gingivalis at bay.

In Microbiology Spectrum, an open-access ASM journal, researchers reported that matcha inhibited the growth of P. gingivalis in lab experiments.

In addition, a clinical study involving 45 people with periodontitis, people who used matcha mouthwash showed significantly lower levels of P. gingivalis in saliva samples than at the start of the study.